Description:
Bernard-Léon Eymieu (1828-1907) was a French painter. He regularly exhibited at the Salons. In his work he was engaged in landscape painting. His inspirations were views of his family‘s hometown and Brittany*.

Description of the painting:
The painting “Street in Saillans“ shows the alley of the artist‘s hometown. The view opens with an arched passage between the buildings. The wall forms a frame for the painting, kept in shades of gray and brown, interspersed with green moss. The artist clearly depicted the structure, in which it is possible to distinguish the masonry. The center of the canvas is a narrow road between buildings leading to the next arched passage, from which a dark figure emerges. The upper part of the painting is occupied by the sky, whose violet shades may suggest the sunset.

Through the narrow passages and the dark color palette, the age–old architecture creates a feeling of darkness. The artist takes on the problem of light phenomena in the painting, creating a specific mood. Behind the shaded arch, the building on the left side of the image and the road are illuminated, creating a counterweight to the dark passage in the background. The white building above the passage is also illuminated by the sun‘s rays. Thus, four planes can be distinguished in the painting, alternating between shade and brightness.